What would government shutdown mean? Impact on SNAP, student loans, travel impacts, mail explained

Late Tuesday night at the Capitol in Washington, lawmakers were working to advance appropriations bills on the House floor. The Republican-controlled House and the Democrat-controlled Senate are starkly divided over very different paths to preventing a federal shutdown. (J. Scott Applewhite/Assocoate)

NEW YORK — With gridlock persisting in Washington, a government shutdown is looking all but inevitable ahead of this weekend’s deadline.

While the Senate pushes forward with bipartisan approach aimed at keeping the government open, the Republican-controlled House has made little progress — most recently with Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s last-ditch plan collapsing Friday. If spending measures aren’t passed by Saturday night, millions of federal employees will be furloughed and many others will be forced to work without pay until the shutdown ends.